My boss has a plastic clapboard (that black and white board that an assistant director will slam shut when the director yells "Action!"), and it has autographs from some of the actors, written in Sharpie. He wants to preserve it, and wants me to find some kind of spray of fixative that'll keep it permanently on there. Anyone know of anything?
Probably the best solution. You want to protect the plastic from deterioration, the Sharpie ink probably isn't the biggest issue. Get it mounted in a shadowbox by a competent framer and use archival-quality materials. "Glass" (actually, it's usually plastic) with UV coatings will protect sunlight from attacking the plastics in the clapboard. Even so, your boss will probably want to keep it out of direct sunlight. Keeping it entirely out of sunlight would be best.
I'd think fixatives and other coatings won't help, and have a good chance of just complicating things (the coating might discolor faster/worse than the original materials. You certainly wouldn't want to use anything that wasn't water-based, since solvents for oil-based coatings will not only attack the Sharpie ink, but the plastic of the clapboard itself, leaving you with a toxic melted puddle of goo.
You want to protect the plastic from deterioration, the Sharpie ink probably isn't the biggest issue. Get it mounted in a shadowbox by a competent framer and use archival-quality materials. "Glass" (actually, it's usually plastic) with UV coatings will protect sunlight from attacking the plastics in the clapboard. Even so, your boss will probably want to keep it out of direct sunlight. Keeping it entirely out of sunlight would be best.
This.
I used to work at a hobby shop, and we preserved autographed sports memorabilia. That's probably the first place you'd want to go. They can direct you toward a display case for your item.
Probably the best solution. You want to protect the plastic from deterioration, the Sharpie ink probably isn't the biggest issue. Get it mounted in a shadowbox by a competent framer and use archival-quality materials. "Glass" (actually, it's usually plastic) with UV coatings will protect sunlight from attacking the plastics in the clapboard. Even so, your boss will probably want to keep it out of direct sunlight. Keeping it entirely out of sunlight would be best.
I'd think fixatives and other coatings won't help, and have a good chance of just complicating things (the coating might discolor faster/worse than the original materials. You certainly wouldn't want to use anything that wasn't water-based, since solvents for oil-based coatings will not only attack the Sharpie ink, but the plastic of the clapboard itself, leaving you with a toxic melted puddle of goo.
Having worked in picture framing I will tell you that UV glass or plexiglass is a good idea, but it definitely WILL NOT protect it from direct sunlight.
A picture-framing shop will be able to put something together for you that will work well.
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Kyle
Probably the best solution. You want to protect the plastic from deterioration, the Sharpie ink probably isn't the biggest issue. Get it mounted in a shadowbox by a competent framer and use archival-quality materials. "Glass" (actually, it's usually plastic) with UV coatings will protect sunlight from attacking the plastics in the clapboard. Even so, your boss will probably want to keep it out of direct sunlight. Keeping it entirely out of sunlight would be best.
I'd think fixatives and other coatings won't help, and have a good chance of just complicating things (the coating might discolor faster/worse than the original materials. You certainly wouldn't want to use anything that wasn't water-based, since solvents for oil-based coatings will not only attack the Sharpie ink, but the plastic of the clapboard itself, leaving you with a toxic melted puddle of goo.
This.
I used to work at a hobby shop, and we preserved autographed sports memorabilia. That's probably the first place you'd want to go. They can direct you toward a display case for your item.
Having worked in picture framing I will tell you that UV glass or plexiglass is a good idea, but it definitely WILL NOT protect it from direct sunlight.
A picture-framing shop will be able to put something together for you that will work well.